Friday, September 21, 2012

The President's Brother-In-Law

Confederate
Brigadier General Benjamin Hardin Helm was killed during the Battle of
Chickamauga September 21st 1863; he was the brother-in-law of
President Abraham Lincoln.

Benjamin
Hardin Helm was born June 2nd 1831 in Bardstown, Kentucky, the son
of John L and Lucinda (Barbour) Hardin.In 1846 he enrolled in the Kentucky Military Institute at the age of 15,
just three month later he left for the United State Military Academy at West
Point.Helm graduated 9th out
of a class of 42 in 1851.He served at
the cavalry school in Carlisle, Pennsylvania and at Fort Lincoln, Texas before
being discharge do to being diagnosed with inflammatory arthritis.Helm went on to study the law at the
Universities of Louisville and Harvard; graduating in 1853 he began practicing
law with his father in Elizabethtown, Kentucky.He was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives and served as
Hardin County State’s Attorney.In 1856
Helm married Mary Todd Lincoln’s half-sister Emilie.

In 1861 with
Kentucky remaining neutral President Abraham Lincoln offered Helm the job of
Union Army Paymaster.Helm turned the
job down and raised the Confederate 1st Kentucky Cavalry.He was commissioned their Colonel October 19th
1861, and they marched south under Confederate Brigadier General Simon Bolivar
Buckner.On March 14th 1862
Helm received the assignment to raise the 3rd Kentucky Brigade and
was promoted to Brigadier General.They
saw action at the Battle of Shiloh, guarding the flanks.In January 1863 Helm was placed in command of
the First Kentucky Brigade, known as the “Orphan Brigade” and was assigned to
the Confederate Army of Tennessee.With
the Orphan Brigade Helm saw action at the Battles of Chickamauga and Vicksburg.

The Orphan
Brigade was a part of Confederate fight against Union Major General William
Rosecrans’ offensive during the Battle of Chattanooga on September 20th
1863.Striking near the center of the
Union line and moving against heavy fire the men under Helm made it to within
40 yards of the Union line.In less than
an hour the Orphan Brigade lost a third of its men.Helm, on horseback was shot in the chest by a
member of the Union 15th Kentucky Infantry.Helm fell from his saddle and was carried to
the rear, where it was determined his wound was mortal.He died September 21st 1862.Confederate General John Cabell Breckinridge
wrote to Helm’s wife, saying "Your husband commanded them [the men of the
Orphan brigade] like a thorough soldier. He loved them, they loved him, and he
died at their head, a patriot and a hero."

I hated to point out the mistake in the public comments but you have no method of contacting you privately. I know you strive for accuracy so I decided to point it out. One thing I notice about your posts is the early hour at which you put them up. 4:44 AM is mighty early to be peering at a computer screen!

Thanks Steve and I don't mind when someone points out that I made a mistake. It happens to the best of us, plus it is after all how we learn. The early hour of posting is because most days my real job starts at 6am.